BY ERICA GUSTAFSON, OPINION EDITOR
COVID-19 has definitely brought on challenges for students and teachers on all different levels of the education system. Students were forced to take on remote learning without much time for preparations among families. Educational leaders were also tasked with creating at-home lesson plans for students within a short window.
With all of the complications and stressors that came with remote learning, some students have taken full advantage of learning remotely.
In 2020, I saw a news story that focused on a group of college students. Their university had made the decision to continue learning fully remote in their upcoming semester. Instead of whining and complaining through the next five months of learning, they jumped on a brilliant idea.
This small group of students took the money they would have originally spent on their campus housing, which adds up to a good chunk of cash, and spent it on an Airbnb by the beach. They spent a large part of their semester studying part of the day and relaxing with their friends for the other. It is not the typical image you create in your head when you think of remote learning during the pandemic. However, it works.
Alongside our educational institutions across the country, companies, organizations and workers have struggled to cope with work remotely.
Many workers have been forced to transition to and from working in and outside the office. Though this has not been an easy process for most, some people are taking advantage of this new opportunity within the struggles.
One of the most prominent things that has come from this work shift has been people staying remote in their respected positions. Though there are many positions where it is almost impossible to fully work away from the office, people have discovered that many positions do not require in-person attendance to function effectively and productively.
Even today, people are taking advantage of working away from the office, combining work with pleasure.
A branch of this has spiraled into the modern movement of RV Life and Tiny Home Living. These may have existed prior to the pandemic, but COVID-19 really opened people up to this unique way of life.
Adults have been hitting the road by themselves, and with their families, in campers and tiny homes. They travel the country while working fully remote. It is a big adjustment, but people are getting the best of both worlds. Not only are they still fulfilling their work obligations and making money to support themselves, but they are seeing the world while they are doing it. It may not be conventional, or the right path for everyone, but it should not be ruled out.
The point to this whole thing is that, though the pandemic has been a terrible point in our history, people are truly making the most of it and taking advantage of the situation put in front of them. If you find yourself in a situation similar to these others, where you don’t need to be in a face-to-face job, there are other options. Take advantage of the time you have, and see what the world can bring you. There are some solutions for everyone. You just need to see them.
